Chapter 8
Bernard grumbled in the corner as102Please respect copyright.PENANA1x89LUurPW
he cleaned the vomit from off his shoe. Another servant had been summoned to102Please respect copyright.PENANApNWZEhOY1M
clean up the mess while Vander was given some water to drink. The rancid smell102Please respect copyright.PENANAZ901HH2S1D
from the King’s chest hadn’t left his nose and it was making him woozy.
“What happened in here?” Peyton102Please respect copyright.PENANAdcJ6Pyn16M
asked. Topal spent some time explaining everything that the two of them had102Please respect copyright.PENANADj7lVUokEL
discovered while Vander hugged the bucket.
“So, there were two things put102Please respect copyright.PENANAJMgIDKFrU8
together that caused this mess.” Bernard sighed. “Is there anyway to cure him?”
“Doctor.” Vander closed his mouth102Please respect copyright.PENANAf6G731lA9l
to keep the bile from coming out. “I need you to start making the remedy for102Please respect copyright.PENANAy9d5zJ7wr5
him, please.” He wheezed. “I don’t think I can take much more of the smell.” He102Please respect copyright.PENANA00A1mOuDU5
pulled a trash bucket closer to him just in case he needed it.
“I’ve never dealt with his kind of102Please respect copyright.PENANAlrxse1Pgve
poison before.” Topal shook his head. “I have no idea how to fix it. You102Please respect copyright.PENANANjuqNHOCCF
figured it out, do you have any notion?” Vander closed his eyes allowing the102Please respect copyright.PENANA0l5nnyj9ul
smell to envelope him. Despite being the Deity of Beasts, Unna’s gifts came102Please respect copyright.PENANAU1EMMIUU6G
with another perk. It allowed him to work wonders with poisons and their cures,102Please respect copyright.PENANAOKLJRXJxWy
a leftover from how close she is with her aunt, Lyshena.
“We need something to strengthen102Please respect copyright.PENANAhaQUVfftYh
and clear his lungs.” Vander’s voice sounded far away. “Take some wild102Please respect copyright.PENANAdehRYhi7TD
cherries, horehound, and mullein, then boil a pot of boiling sea water. All the102Please respect copyright.PENANAJif9Ku2Kks
King to inhale the vapors until he coughs out all the black goo covering his102Please respect copyright.PENANAr6fZBqUZsi
lungs. To wake him up, you will need to soak him in a tub filled with more salt102Please respect copyright.PENANAMdywZ6jrTY
water and lavender extract. He should recover.” Vander slumped forward then102Please respect copyright.PENANAOd2DG3tnU0
jerked to the left filling the bucket with more vomit.
“Are you sure?” Bernard asked.102Please respect copyright.PENANATn3wdHhIcu
“That seems like a very simple remedy for something like this.”
“It’s not simple at all.” Topal102Please respect copyright.PENANAr80snPRzyV
shook his head. “I never would have thought to sting these together to cure a102Please respect copyright.PENANAPiyjRbBv9Q
poison. I would have looked for a cure all and likely would have flailed around102Please respect copyright.PENANADnc5D9f782
while he died under my care.”
“Are you blessed by Lyshena?”102Please respect copyright.PENANAwk07mzHOIo
Bernard asked. He checked over his shoe before grunting in appreciation. He102Please respect copyright.PENANA2rTTZgUxek
might have been a stick in the mud, but he knew how to clean up. “That’s the102Please respect copyright.PENANAHhRkXcHyeV
only way this would make sense.”
“You can’t tell anyone about102Please respect copyright.PENANAYbRSMcIqX6
this.” Vander said. He shared a knowing glance with Topal. “He doesn’t want102Please respect copyright.PENANAXsPZr9dMfn
special treatment because of who he is blessed by, I hope you will keep the102Please respect copyright.PENANAEvYsQyiD79
secret.”
“If it helps me save Malcolm’s102Please respect copyright.PENANAeksJE7qT8f
life, I will keep this secret to the grave.” Topal smiled. “And if Bernard102Please respect copyright.PENANAEEyRX2biYT
doesn’t, I know how to get rid of a body.” Bernard choked on his saliva,102Please respect copyright.PENANAweMAkcSJzf
coughing until his face turned bright red.
“That’s uncalled for.” He laughed.102Please respect copyright.PENANAxGBY5Lg8Ww
“I can keep a secret; you don’t have to worry about me.” There was quick knock102Please respect copyright.PENANAj5RujfPMF7
before Charles opened the door to slip back inside.
“What did you find out?” Vander102Please respect copyright.PENANAsAcwVnnBu1
got up from the table to stand by his grandfather.
“No one has seen the taste tester102Please respect copyright.PENANAfmOAkzEXcy
since the night the King fell ill.” Charles explained. “We should go down to102Please respect copyright.PENANA5q9fCVvIha
the servants’ quarters and check up on him.”
“I forgot,” Bernard snapped his102Please respect copyright.PENANAyfiIIUJhcW
fingers. “There was a third person with me to visit Malcolm, a new servant.”
“Why didn’t you mention this102Please respect copyright.PENANA3dtr9Ds9LA
before?” Peyton turned to the man anger rising in his voice.
“I didn’t think he was important.”102Please respect copyright.PENANA1BmXRxhlQ4
Bernard shot back. “I just remembered I left the tea in his hands while I102Please respect copyright.PENANAOXLcCc7F1h
opened the door. I didn’t think there was enough time for him to slip something102Please respect copyright.PENANApvcztRnsHH
into it, but, thinking back on it, he had it long enough to slip something into102Please respect copyright.PENANAzq1KlhZZjc
it. How much was needed to poison the King?”
“A small amount, any amount.”102Please respect copyright.PENANAjgCdAapXP3
Vander said. “As long as it was ingested at the same time as the ocecrest, it102Please respect copyright.PENANAuahiClzWeE
would have done the trick.”
“Do you know who it was?” Charles102Please respect copyright.PENANAPiym2Vld8c
asked. “The name of the servant?”
“The king likes to meet any new102Please respect copyright.PENANAhGyzZskEfx
worker to get their story as well as their struggle.” Bernard folded his arms102Please respect copyright.PENANAHHvOE54Gyy
over his chest. “I believe his name was Nigel. He should be living in the same area102Please respect copyright.PENANAwX53N2CmEd
as the tester who is named Ulysses. I will help Topal get the items needed to102Please respect copyright.PENANApXLdmAjdUc
cure the King, you find the people that could be responsible for this.”
“Let’s go, Vander.” Charles went102Please respect copyright.PENANAkMdZDi7YMB
to help Vander up, but he clutched the bucket and emptied the rest of his102Please respect copyright.PENANAcDsiAEsobr
stomach contents inside.
“Get him out of here.” Bernard102Please respect copyright.PENANAa9w8cGg6II
looked quite green himself, so Charles pulled Vander outside, making sure to102Please respect copyright.PENANARYvMb17DKj
leave the bucket in the room.
Vander was grateful for the fresh102Please respect copyright.PENANA3MRf97enRD
air that being in the hallway brought. He leaned up against the wall breathing102Please respect copyright.PENANA4mnClVqUBD
its cool crisp air. Charles looked at him sadly. “I never knew how much this102Please respect copyright.PENANA6XepUNyodE
curse affected you. Seeing you like this just-“
“Don’t worry about it, Gramps.” He102Please respect copyright.PENANAs5LyBbjr0c
pushed off from the wall then clasped his grandfather’s shoulder. “It has more102Please respect copyright.PENANAGm085DpVKE
perks than drawbacks. Let’s get going.”
As he walked, the feeling of102Please respect copyright.PENANA1jAzSnMaoL
becoming himself gradually returned. Chanelling the abilities of Unna, no102Please respect copyright.PENANApJnaxEsLor
matter how small, always took it out of him, but this was the first time he102Please respect copyright.PENANAdWm6ud2VYi
felt quite so rough afterwards. He was going to have to do something that would102Please respect copyright.PENANAo6PfwNqrFq
return the blessing she had given him, but she didn’t accept anything other102Please respect copyright.PENANAZte00UMSVb
than sex or a blood sacrifice. He didn’t want to bring Julianna back into this,102Please respect copyright.PENANAe5DU5UGNWj
so the only other option was to visit the pits, something he avoided as much as102Please respect copyright.PENANAIymBpIw58m
possible, but if he didn’t he could lose more than just his mind by ignoring102Please respect copyright.PENANArEi2fWGR1m
the deities’ needs. It had happened before when he was younger, and it couldn’t102Please respect copyright.PENANA95nVbck8ZY
happen again.
Charles had told102Please respect copyright.PENANA4R2f36NYH8
him what had been going on since the past month or so within the Kingdom. Many102Please respect copyright.PENANAbHu3FydWC7
of the Blades had been dispatched to the Warden’s to bring them here, which was102Please respect copyright.PENANAaICocTpHBR
the main reason there were more soldiers guarding the keep recently. The soldiers102Please respect copyright.PENANALASL7ZSQl6
were on high alert and were making everyone uncomfortable, but they were doing102Please respect copyright.PENANAWNnR8XZv83
their job, not willing to risk the wrath of the King if anything went wrong.102Please respect copyright.PENANAwqNQdpDvYd
Merchants came from all over to offer their services to the crown ranging from102Please respect copyright.PENANAcQEf9ZhNzN
food to decorations and, in some instances, jewelry for the eventual Queen. A102Please respect copyright.PENANAKftQsb24VO
lot of those were centered within the Grand Ballroom.
They arrived at102Please respect copyright.PENANA0HMcQbYmTu
the Grand Ballroom where many of the servants were stationed for the next few102Please respect copyright.PENANAvL8AFh9iNp
days as they prepared for the prince and his new bride’s arrival. It appears102Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9WCSZnReJ
the kingdom was spared to expense for this extravagant part as everyone of102Please respect copyright.PENANAvNNM1FROgy
importance from all over the Kingdom was visiting, The walls on the left half102Please respect copyright.PENANAd4ZHpkWjKF
were being draped in brilliant red and gold banners with Atza’s symbol, the102Please respect copyright.PENANAuPqkPUX35e
lioness with a golden crown on her head. The right half was being draped with102Please respect copyright.PENANA4vU4wWiiEs
cool blue and white banners with Humjir’s symbol, and the Elan family crest, a102Please respect copyright.PENANAnQIN6qvkVu
white dove with an olive crown on its head. The symbolic nature of the marriage102Please respect copyright.PENANAodC3nuMv8U
between two rival countries wasn’t lost on anyone and they were taking great102Please respect copyright.PENANAzj6HsEs8by
care not to offend either deity.
“Where should we102Please respect copyright.PENANAxs6LKp8d12
start?” Charles looked around the room with a troubled expression on his face. There102Please respect copyright.PENANAJaCkWHEcsD
were too many people to question as they were looking for two people, albeit102Please respect copyright.PENANAgxsZvQyvCl
important, but around here, anyone could disappear if they wished it. Vander102Please respect copyright.PENANAd8XFO7GBxc
spotted the servant who seemed to be in charge, an older gray-haired woman102Please respect copyright.PENANARTbQk8g1Jy
holding a clipboard, quill, and bottle of ink. There were two other servants102Please respect copyright.PENANA4AT64kmoXs
standing next to her ready to carry out her orders.
“We start with102Please respect copyright.PENANANioUHdoWM8
her.” Vander nodded towards his grandfather.
“With Beatrice?”102Please respect copyright.PENANAG3UdI5Sj8d
Charles frowned. “She is Bernard’s right hand and his sister. If anyone knew102Please respect copyright.PENANA8F7uriz760
where those two are, it would be here. Let’s go talk to her.” The two of them102Please respect copyright.PENANAGqMrUXwURB
walked over as she started yelling orders:
“Make sure those102Please respect copyright.PENANAtPBKwyNw87
banners are crease free,” she snapped. “I won’t have this place looking unkept102Please respect copyright.PENANAIN2w0KUrq9
for when the prince and princess arrive.” She turned around to see two female102Please respect copyright.PENANABIMInLNfno
servants leaning up against the wall whispering to each other. “You two, if you102Please respect copyright.PENANA8uG0Oy61uD
are done for the day you can go home, and I’ll dock your pay!”
“Sorry ma’am.”102Please respect copyright.PENANAWR4AyiByAv
They curtsied then went back to folding their napkins.
“As for you two.”102Please respect copyright.PENANAdu7eJdZXlF
She didn’t even turn around to greet them. “What can I do for the Blades this102Please respect copyright.PENANAXtiUcO8AyO
morning? As you can see I am quite busy so make this quick.”
“We are looking102Please respect copyright.PENANAGY7WjifrQi
for two servants and we are wondering if you have seen them around?” She looked102Please respect copyright.PENANAVeoXPBBCqd
up at Vander from under her wire rimmed glasses.
“I’ve seen many102Please respect copyright.PENANA5fCzK1zCqZ
servants, be more specific.” She demanded.
“Nigel and102Please respect copyright.PENANAvWUAziMMcr
Ulysses.” She clicked her tongue, but then quickly scribbled a note then handed102Please respect copyright.PENANAp08zJwAW4X
it over to the servant next to her. “Bring this to the baker quickly. I forgot102Please respect copyright.PENANA9PIHBdrMxQ
she needed our order.”102Please respect copyright.PENANAeg88qquaxU
102Please respect copyright.PENANAD8rUY0iZQu
“Yes102Please respect copyright.PENANAEfQlgjEyMJ
ma’am.” The servant bowed then scurried away.
“I haven’t seen102Please respect copyright.PENANAHv5yOyWSx3
Ulysses for a couple of weeks, something about being sick.” She explained. “I102Please respect copyright.PENANAscK6oYOUDo
sent for the doctor, but there was nothing he could do for him. As for Nigel,102Please respect copyright.PENANABad5B0TOZi
he should be in the kitchen helping the cooks. Why?”
“Thank you.”102Please respect copyright.PENANAlmN2xQlD5W
Vander and Charles ran towards the door that would lead downstairs and towards102Please respect copyright.PENANAUjWE9TC61J
the kitchen leaving a confused Beatrice standing behind them.
“Blades.” she102Please respect copyright.PENANACS023NuNuU
muttered. She looked around to see more of her servants standing around, so she102Please respect copyright.PENANAPmEZtcki46
walked over towards them.
“Do you think102Please respect copyright.PENANAhQkJYfyDER
Ulysses is dead?” Charles asked once he knew they were out of ear shot.
“He might not102Please respect copyright.PENANA0RPLEpgxOZ
have had enough of the poison to render him comatose, but he could still get102Please respect copyright.PENANAcptj2gE0nI
deathly ill from it.” Vander explained. “But let’s find Nigel first since he is102Please respect copyright.PENANAT8jXZCOUSY
the one we suspect of the poison.”
“How do you want102Please respect copyright.PENANASjzRMyJXRH
to handle this?”
“You go in and102Please respect copyright.PENANAb1KyVJTEG4
talk to him.” Vander said. “He should be a little intimidated of you and if102Please respect copyright.PENANAmw8Kev4eux
cornered, he will likely try to run. I will be there to keep him from escaping.102Please respect copyright.PENANAAZW4dKdcCs
There is no telling what he might do, so be on your guard.”
“I know how to102Please respect copyright.PENANAKk2hIBZ4VC
handle myself.” Charles scoffed. “You just worry about yourself.”
The two of them102Please respect copyright.PENANAtRBuTIuYY4
made their way down towards the kitchens which you had to pass through to get102Please respect copyright.PENANAkdQxwFBEkP
to the servants’ quarters. There were other ways of getting there, but this was102Please respect copyright.PENANAVnY8Y9OuhG
the most direct way from the King’s quarters. Despite the castle being large,102Please respect copyright.PENANA2Eov8gEvWR
based on the sheer number of servants required, it wasn’t feasible to give them102Please respect copyright.PENANAFUWroA8gYt
their own room. Often there would be two or sometimes three servants per room102Please respect copyright.PENANAIqRLidhWiN
segregated based on gender, thought nighttime activities between them wasn’t102Please respect copyright.PENANA7b2gQQzscR
uncommon.
As they made102Please respect copyright.PENANAvUSCwdLLR3
their way into the kitchen, the head chef, known because of her oversized hat,102Please respect copyright.PENANA1yTQ4roxGD
was looking down at a piece of parchment with a quill in her hands. The others102Please respect copyright.PENANAzfuZd5cNAs
were bustling around her trying not to draw attention to themselves as they102Please respect copyright.PENANA8JKDVKceH8
worked. It looked as though they were preparing for lunch as several of them102Please respect copyright.PENANACOKpagQssy
were chopping up raw pieces of meat on the counter while others were collecting102Please respect copyright.PENANAXrnHatiBKa
vegetables to go into a stew. The two of them walked straight through, not even102Please respect copyright.PENANAfMHmYsqlhP
bothering to greet the chef as they made their way towards the servant’s area.
As soon as the102Please respect copyright.PENANAqvu106Auo0
saw the first door, Vander knew they had hit a roadblock. The doors weren’t102Please respect copyright.PENANAqDyR9XRWYC
labeled or named. They had no way of knowing which room belonged to Nigel or102Please respect copyright.PENANAYn9lgezEre
Ulysses. Charles stood there frowning; how did they not know the quarters were102Please respect copyright.PENANAKZRMfDuNht
like this? It was a major blunder, but perhaps not all was lost. Vander tried102Please respect copyright.PENANAqXFPYajSx4
each door to see if it was locked. Servants weren’t allowed to lock their doors102Please respect copyright.PENANACXZj04U2zM
if they were needed, but he figured if one of them needed to hide something,102Please respect copyright.PENANArbO2xapZ2r
they wouldn’t leave the door open for all to see. It was a huge gamble, but by102Please respect copyright.PENANAik3hbbklQX
the time he got to the last door, it paid off. It was locked and he could smell102Please respect copyright.PENANA9tVkcLvr2M
something rip coming from inside.
“Watch the102Please respect copyright.PENANAh4Pbjjmo4K
kitchen for me.” Vander whispered to his grandfather. Charles nodded his head102Please respect copyright.PENANAWSj8JM48iB
then used his frame to block the view. Testing the door one more time just to102Please respect copyright.PENANAjZS3wiChUm
make sure it was locked; Vander shoulder checked the door several times until102Please respect copyright.PENANATNj2CqQ3mh
he heard the latch break. Rubbing his aching shoulder, he kicked the remainder102Please respect copyright.PENANACpisUFxUp5
open until it was hanging sideways. That’s when the full weight of rotting102Please respect copyright.PENANAsBBdX8mvML
human hit him so hard he puked for the fourth time today. Charles heard him and102Please respect copyright.PENANAp6aG3fZHsu
came racing over.
“What in the name102Please respect copyright.PENANAVs6HXbqKy9
of Humjir is this?” Lying on one of the beds was a servant, Vander’s guess was102Please respect copyright.PENANALjvSVcp0bD
Ulysses, who didn’t fare as well ingesting the poison because no one was102Please respect copyright.PENANAftfOVgbpDk
looking for him. His body had swelled up in death and his face was deep purple.102Please respect copyright.PENANAOFt7Ecnsns
He was shirtless showing off a physique that wasn’t normal for the serving102Please respect copyright.PENANA2kLTVwKAHs
class with scars crisscrossing his body. There still appeared to be evidence102Please respect copyright.PENANA50Z0sEvzo3
that someone was still living in this room despite the stench due to the empty102Please respect copyright.PENANAZQWFqYVRlr
plate with food that had molded, and clothing rumpled in the corner. How anyone102Please respect copyright.PENANAgKAY0jzeEi
could live like this was beyond him.
“Vander go get102Please respect copyright.PENANAxoQPgrRaAx
someone to seal off this room before you puke over anything else.” Charles102Please respect copyright.PENANAiAyGzenuNG
ordered. Thankfully for being allowed to leave he did as he was asked. Some of102Please respect copyright.PENANAq8yOmJlKjv
the servants who were on break were crowding the hallway curious to see what102Please respect copyright.PENANA3cTx58MVUQ
was going on.
“Clear out of the102Please respect copyright.PENANAqanC0UUtdV
way.” Vander shouted. “Someone grab Blades who are walking around and tell them102Please respect copyright.PENANAHaUoVDWXTa
to come here.” When no one moved, he was forced to use his authority. “Now!” He102Please respect copyright.PENANAF7ZBcIm8aA
screamed. They scattered to do as they were ordered, but one stayed behind. He102Please respect copyright.PENANA6A8G4xcqy3
was a tall man, muscular, with brown hair and green eyes. Upon seeing Vander,102Please respect copyright.PENANApk7c0Dy75K
he froze.
“What are you102Please respect copyright.PENANAlh4qKqdwtB
doing down there?” he asked.
“Are you Nigel?”
“What’s it to102Please respect copyright.PENANApGdU8M1FgM
you?” he asked.
“As Captain of102Please respect copyright.PENANAsHDMoYK7pC
the Blades I am detaining you as a suspect in the murder of Ulysse’s.” he said.102Please respect copyright.PENANAV1Me6IGKI6
“Stay right there.” As a surprise to no one, Nigel bolted back the way he came.102Please respect copyright.PENANAChO5zIyJp9
Cursing to himself, Vander vaulted over the counter to give chase leaving a very102Please respect copyright.PENANANKUL9YxQ5N
irate chef picking up her paper covered in ink.
Nigel was fast.102Please respect copyright.PENANAyil7f9sra5
He raced through the halls, ducking into doorways, and changing directions like102Please respect copyright.PENANACBEFciJGaX
some intimately familiar with the castle layout. It was one of the times Vander102Please respect copyright.PENANAEi1zYa0dp4
wished he had brought Shea with him despite the risk, but for now he was on his102Please respect copyright.PENANATDkStdyYXj
own. He knew that he was faster, but all of today’s activities were beginning102Please respect copyright.PENANAVNaVU8EDoc
to take its toll on him. He was feeling weak and sluggish, but he didn’t dare102Please respect copyright.PENANAg6ybneOxD4
let Nigel get away, not when he held such vital clues. But no one knew the102Please respect copyright.PENANA7hCNjTGdya
castle better than he did, so once he recognized where Nigel was going, the102Please respect copyright.PENANAuKsBB9O3m9
gardens, Vander took a left up a flight of stairs. It leads to a balcony with102Please respect copyright.PENANAsNY3v6dIMv
open space which would give him the opportunity he needed. Once he saw that he102Please respect copyright.PENANABVK4se7D6y
and Nigel were neck and neck, he willed his body forward, borrowing some energy102Please respect copyright.PENANAiSI17oo6qf
from Unna, then launched himself off the balcony and down towards Nigel.
The two of them102Please respect copyright.PENANAoOEbtkPaPH
collided and Vander was sent flying into the garden itself landing on a bush.102Please respect copyright.PENANAdn2abtwYhr
If it had been the ground he would have been in trouble, but the worst he’d102Please respect copyright.PENANAMFpGFN1oem
have now was a couple of bruises on his back. He got to his feet then placed102Please respect copyright.PENANAB66gS7xBsx
his hand on the hilt of his sword. Nigel was groaning out in pain, slowly102Please respect copyright.PENANAZ4XvQIUMlB
trying to get to his, but the hit he had just taken must have taken all the102Please respect copyright.PENANAT7PYn60jga
fight out of him.
“Alright, I’ll102Please respect copyright.PENANAwSYHoLxKuo
come with you.” he gasped. Vander hauled him to his feet.
“Why did you have102Please respect copyright.PENANAWQIppCXjLb
to make this more difficult for yourself?” Vander asked.
“Because they102Please respect copyright.PENANAYOsPZvcTLt
will kill me if I talk.” Nigel groaned. Vander shoved him up against the wall.
“Who will?”
“You don’t know102Please respect copyright.PENANAZqE4CkBYGI
them.” Nigel grabbed his arm. “They will kill everyone I love, and they are in102Please respect copyright.PENANAJvZirO7Ezn
places of power you could only dream of.” His eyes widened as he stared at102Please respect copyright.PENANAtDveY3D9zc
someone standing behind them. “No.” Vander turned around, but something whizzed102Please respect copyright.PENANAXrvrTfXXfS
right past his face. He felt something wet hit the side of his face. He turned102Please respect copyright.PENANAOWAAHqcmcE
around to see Nigel gurgling blood with two knives embedded in his throat. His102Please respect copyright.PENANAUS4gy2fb91
eyes grew wide as he mouthed the words: Run. He slumped to the ground dead.
“That wasn’t102Please respect copyright.PENANA8Td8q1m0XR
smart.” Vander turned to face the assassin. They were wearing all black and102Please respect copyright.PENANAOJh3mbMtRY
their faces were covered. They held two more knives in their hands along with a102Please respect copyright.PENANAaan3YogNJa
sword strapped to their backs. “Now you’re going to have to answer the102Please respect copyright.PENANA77btggyM6n
questions meant for him.” They tilted their heads but gripped the knives102Please respect copyright.PENANAHa23gsatkV
tightly. He made the first move. He drew102Please respect copyright.PENANAYky1A3jmH0
his sword as he charged them. The assassin just brought their knives up to102Please respect copyright.PENANA35WaAPhxzz
deflect the shot. Their leg shot out hitting Vander in the knuckles causing him102Please respect copyright.PENANAkbr6wO25r4
to yell out in pain then drop his sword.
He didn’t let102Please respect copyright.PENANAaHMxI7qM0o
that stop him. He grabbed their wrist to keep one of the knives away from his102Please respect copyright.PENANAPVA8oARLUL
body. Using his strength, he squeezed the wrist until they were forced to let102Please respect copyright.PENANA8wmXgzFRa0
the knife go, then he brought his shoulder into their chest and threw them over102Please respect copyright.PENANAUXZz8zcRsO
his back and onto the ground. However, their feet landed squarely protecting102Please respect copyright.PENANAyvN07ja6mi
them from hitting the cobblestone. In his surprise, Vander didn’t react quick102Please respect copyright.PENANAJIFbGNQloH
enough when they flipped over him then wrapped their legs around his neck then102Please respect copyright.PENANAZxcVK2p4Wd
began raining elbows on top of his head. He brought his arms up to deflect102Please respect copyright.PENANAPUs0Ca4OXI
before deciding to charge into the wall. The assassin didn’t let up even as he102Please respect copyright.PENANAd3v1xdhNnO
jumped off the wall and landed on the ground. He heard the crack of their back102Please respect copyright.PENANAL1Y6ghUNaA
as they landed, and their legs eased up their assault. Vander coughed and102Please respect copyright.PENANAUOCkSEWKSS
wheezed as he massaged his throat to breathe.
“Enough of this.”102Please respect copyright.PENANAxgNpxP6KmG
The assassin groaned, but steadily made their way to their feet. They had a102Please respect copyright.PENANArltpAtdTHz
soft voice, almost feminine, which confused him. He remembered the voice, but102Please respect copyright.PENANAVZtm7p0ddV
he couldn’t tell from where. They drew the sword from their back and held it in102Please respect copyright.PENANATlX5pR5RLt
Vander’s face. “I was supposed to leave you, but you’ve pissed me off enough.102Please respect copyright.PENANAEnbBlEkuEF
Die.” They lunged at him, but they left an opening for Vander to roll to the102Please respect copyright.PENANAX6fjDAW7vM
side to grab his sword. He brought it up just in time to deflect the strike the102Please respect copyright.PENANAtkU2giUzzm
assassin aimed at him. He punched their ribs causing them to stumble sideways.102Please respect copyright.PENANA0S2gbahzYp
He then swept out their legs causing them to again fall on their back.
Two blurs sped102Please respect copyright.PENANAE97ba1eS22
out from their hand, and he was barely quick enough to dodge. He could smell102Please respect copyright.PENANAkiRMMhQOaG
the poison emanating from them and he knew those weren’t something he wanted to102Please respect copyright.PENANAaCrHezu8TO
get hit by. They got to their feet, but he could tell that they had been102Please respect copyright.PENANAb9gmmCH6Vh
injured.
“Come with me.”102Please respect copyright.PENANAtWRvltH1sI
He said. “I can protect you.”
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“I don’t need102Please respect copyright.PENANAmcrZH1t7FB
your protection, Blade.” They hissed. “Eluvia has taken everything from me and102Please respect copyright.PENANArqbBRF5M1Y
soon, we will take everything from you.” The removed a small capsule from their102Please respect copyright.PENANAsUw4ZzbGVq
pocket and smashed it on the ground. Black smoke erupted from inside causing102Please respect copyright.PENANAtctO4tB4OQ
Vander to violently cough and fall to his knees. He tried to run out of the102Please respect copyright.PENANApcc1D3c7Nw
smoke, but his legs were leaden. The last thing he saw before passing out was102Please respect copyright.PENANApmSX1eYTQ4
the assassin jumped into the garden and disappearing from the sight.